The Rawalpindi police are preparing a massive operation to evict all Afghan refugees illegally residing in the district and will also book those who have helped refugees illegally acquire Pakistani national identity cards and buy property in settled areas.
“Many Afghans have purchased property in Taxila and Rawalpindi. We are going to take action against all those who assisted them in getting the national identity cards,” acting Regional Police Officer (RPO) Akhtar Hayat Lalika said while addressing a press conference here on Saturday.
Over the years, a large number of Afghans left refugee camps in different parts of the country and illegally settled in various localities in Rawalpindi and Taxila.
“After a proper inquiry, all Afghans illegally residing in cities will be sent back to their camps. At the same time, all the officials who helped them in getting the identity cards and property will face legal action,” the RPO said.
Meanwhile, in order to fight against rising crime in the garrison city, the Rawalpindi police have also directed property dealers to take photographs of their tenants along with copies of their computerised national identity cards (CNICs).
“All the property dealers have been directed to take CNIC copies and pictures of the tenants before brokering a deal between them and the landlords. Otherwise, the dealers will also face legal action if anything untoward happens,” he said.
Lalika said that a large number of foreigners, particularly Afghans, were living in settled areas of Rawalpindi and claimed that most of them were involved in crimes. He said that in some cases, they have also been found providing logistical support to militants.
“We have started action against them and FIRs are being registered against all those who are illegally staying in the city,” he said.
Flanked by the senior superintendent of police operations and other police officers, the RPO said that the police have registered eight cases in connection with the Ashura violence while also making 124 arrests.
Lalika said that of the 124 arrested people, 67 were nominated in FIRs.
While talking about the Chehlum incident in Rawalpindi, where members of two religious groups attacked each other at isolated places, the RPO said that the police have registered four cases against 52 nominated and 840 unidentified accused. Of them, 66 accused have been arrested, he said. The RPO also claimed that during the last two months, the Rawalpindi police busted 26 gangs, rounded up around 100 suspects and recovered a huge cache of weapons and looted items from them.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2014.